Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to determine
the effects of chronic gamma irradiation
on growth and biochemical characteristics of wheat. Wheat plants were exposed to a
60
Co
gamma rays at doses ranging from 10 to 150 Gy for 3 weeks. Our results indicate that
irradiation
at
10
–
15 Gy enhanced plant gro
wth as compared to non
-
irradiated wheat,
while at high doses (>20 Gy) a significant decrease in wheat height was recorded.
APX
and
CAT
transcript levels were higher in
plant irradiated
at 12.5 Gy than in
the
control
s
.
A
lso, the enzyme activities of APX and
CAT and POD were increased by 12.5 Gy gamma
irradiation.
Chronic irradiation caused an increase in the total anthocyanin content. To
assess whether anthocyanin biosynthesis
-
related genes were involved in the response to
chronic gamma irradiation in wheat
plants, we
examine
d their expression under different
doses of gamma rays. Levels of
F3H
,
DFR
,
ANS
transcripts increased due to chronic
gamma irradiation, whereas
CHS
and
CHI
expression decreased. Total anthocyanin
contents significantly increased after chr
onic irradiation. Furthermore, Ultra
Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) revealed that cyanidin 3
-
glucoside, one of
the anthocyanin compounds, rapidly increased in wheat plants after chronic gamma
irradiation. This study demonstrated that the growth o
f wheat plants and markers of
biochemical activity were negatively influenced by chronic gamma irradiation in a dose
-
dependent manner, although low
-
dose radiation showed stimulatory effects.
Results from
this study are very useful for future chronic gamma
irradiation studies for the
improvement of wheat varieties.
Keywords
: Anthocyanin, Antioxidant, Biochemical activity,
R
eactive oxygen species
,
Cyanidin 3
-
glucoside.
